Discover the Weird Whites
Good wines from grapes you never heard of
Like most things, wines go in and out of style. For a long time (and still today) chardonnay has been extremely popular. Once in a while, however, a wine like pinot grigio gets a buzz, and restaurants’ by-the-glass sales of that particular varietal skyrocket. Nobody knows why this happens. At one point, chardonnay got so popular that consumers actually rebelled. “A-B-C!” the wine lovers would cry out. “Anything but chardonnay!”
Well, here’s some good news. There is life beyond chardonnay and pinot grigio, and enjoying the whites that are a bit off the beaten vineyard track requires only a slight bit of adventurousness on your part.
Of course, right up there in the white wine department is sauvignon blanc. The good news is that there are stunningly wonderful sauvignon blancs available in the under $20 range— some New Zealand delights go for as low as $12 or $13. And then there are examples from Sancerre and Pouilly in the Loire Valley that can set you back $100 a bottle. Many of them are worth every nickel.
But what about those other white wines? The ones you seldom see on the shelves, and if you did see them, you would have a hard time recognizing the names. The good news is that the lesser-known varietals offer incredible bargains, mostly because they’re kind of obscure and perhaps come from relatively unknown winegrowing regions.
One fairly popular grape is viognier (vee-on-YAY), which is now grown well outside its native France. In fact, the Australians have taken it to heart, and when they’re not blending it with shiraz (a common practice), they bottle it as a single varietal. Try the Yalumba Y Series Viognier, 2012, from South Australia. Like most viogniers, there’s a wild floral character to it, but also notes of pineapple, pear and spice. It’s only around $12.
Yalumba also makes a white called vermentino. Mainly cultivated in Italy, it’s a refreshing wine, not terribly serious, offering apple, peach, lemon and mineral flavors. It’s available on local shelves, so if you see a bottle somewhere, it’s worth a try.
Another recent favorite is a Greek white called moschofilero (mos-ko-FEE-le-ro). One of the best producers in this newly popular wine region is Boutari. Its white offers lovely floral aromas and bracing acidity.
In Spain, the wine to try is verdejo. The reds and whites of legendary producer Marques de Riscal are some big favorites, and its version of verdejo offers flavors of nectarine, peach and stone fruit. Besides, its new winery in the Rioja region is a breathtaking architectural triumph.
A recent discovery is a white from the southern Rhône valley in France. It was a real surprise, because the Rhône is famous for big, savory reds blended from syrah, grenache and mourvèdre, with some other reds and whites thrown in. The Pierre Henri Morel Cotes du Rhône Villages Laudun was therefore a huge revelation. First, because whites from the southern Rhône are very rare, and second because it’s not made from the traditional white grapes of the area.
Normally, Rhône white wines are made from roussanne and marsanne, the heritage grapes of the region, but this one is a blend of grenache blanc and a grape called bourboulenc. This latter grape can be part of the blend for the famous wines of Châteauneuf du Pape, but it’s extremely rare. The Laudun is sort of halfway between a viognier and a sauvignon blanc, with the best qualities of both. Killer stuff, around $16.
So, even though the weather may still be on the cool side, there’s always a good time for a refreshing white on a Saturday afternoon. Crank up your adventurous spirit and discover these zippy, refreshing whites.
Sample widely. And enjoy!